Newsround – 29th June to 5th July 2024

With a new week, a new month and a mounting backdrop of migrants, there can be little doubt that we are now in ‘ornithological autumn’ …

Just one bird keeping wildfowl afloat this week was the drake Common Scoter that dropped into Stanford Res on 3rd, no doubt a component of this species’ moult migration that takes place annually at this time of the year.

North of Walgrave at least one male Common Quail was still present, singing until at least 2nd.

But it’s now July and more waders are on the move. In terms of numbers, Black-tailed Godwits were, unsurprisingly, well in evidence with, chronologically, two at Ditchford GP on 29th, eight at Summer Leys LNR on 30th and two at Stanwick GP on the same date, two at Summer Leys on 2nd followed by one there on 5th, the latter date seeing six at Clifford Hill GP and one at Pitsford Res. Single Greenshanks visited Stanwick on 30th and Summer Leys on 5th.

The week’s larids were represented by lone Yellow-legged Gulls at Pitsford on 30th and Stanwick on 4th.

And bird of the week? Well, that accolade fell firmly to the Spoonbill that paid a brief, early morning visit to Summer Leys on 4th. Following an unconfirmed report of one in flight over Wood Burcote on 17th April and another short-stayer at Clifford Hill GP four days later, this week’s is only the third to grace the county so far this year.

Bitterns were again at one site, while single Cattle Egrets were at Earls Barton GP’s New Workings (North) on 29th and Summer Leys the following day, with four at Stanwick GP on 2nd.

The week’s fly-over Ospreys were widely spread across four localities in the county, namely Irthlingborough on 29th, Pitsford on 2nd, Stanford on 3rd and Thrapston GP’s Titchmarsh LNR on 4th.

And they’re back! We’re talking Common Redstarts. It was late April since we last saw one but this week Lilbourne Meadows NR dished up the first one of the autumn on 29th-30th and three males had accrued there by 4th.

The same date also delivered one apiece to Harrington AF and Pitsford, the latter site also producing a juvenile Stonechat, which was trapped and ringed there on 29th.